Notes: NFL analyst calls Chris Spielman’s influence underrated

Detroit Lions’ Chris Spielman’s influence has gone under-the-radar since the franchise’s recent turnaround.

Most fans know how instrumental Chris Spielman has been in the Detroit Lions transformation, but one analyst believes the rest of the world doesn’t know — but should.

Speaking at the NFL Combine this weekend, team reporter Dannie Rogers asked league analyst Charles Davis what he saw in this Lions squad that told him they were going perform well this season.

“The things that started with Mrs. Hamp hiring Chris Spielman,” he said. “I think that kind of went below the radar. Ex-Lion coming back to be kind of a special assistant and all that — there’s an influence that he has that I don’t think gets appreciated by the national people.”

After eight years in a Honolulu blue jersey, Spielman traded it in for a Honolulu blue tie as the Special Assistant to the President/CEO & Chairperson in 2021. Davis says while he may not want any credit for it, he’s deserving of it.

“Chris is not going to be a guy out in front. That’s not what he wants to do. He wants to be back there, he just wants to do ball and that whole thing, but he had a heavy hand in Dan Campbell being the head coach, a heavy influence on Brad Holmes being the general manager. He’s a go-to for both of them, a resource, all of that. He’s fully involved with everything that goes on — and that culture started getting set right there,” Davis said.

While Davis doesn’t believe national media members know the extent of Spielman’s influence, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio penned a piece with a similar sentiment in January.

“Every Tuesday during the season, for example, he meets with the business-side employees and performs a full film breakdown of the prior game and a look ahead to the next opponent. At times, he’ll participate in walk-through practices as a linebacker. He basically does whatever he believes needs to be done. Including on multiple occasions helping the grounds crew refill divots during practice. He has the attitude that every employee of every organization should exhibit: I’m here to do whatever needs to be done, and to never complain or engage in self-promotion.”

By the way, you can watch Dannie and Charles’ full interview below:

And onto the rest of your notes.

• “He played with one of the highest motors in college football and that — along with the ability to bend the corner like few in this class — translates immediately to the NFL.” Detroit picks up an edge rusher from Penn State in a mock by CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson.

• Another post-combine mock where the Lions bolster their defense, this one from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein.

• Hutch season highlights? Don’t mind if we do.

• More Hutch you say? You betcha.

• For the rankings folks, how does the current crop of Detroit Lions free agents compare to the rest of the league? A little above the middle of the pack, says CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr.

• Great find from MLive’s Brandon Champion. In his retirement speech Monday, Jason Kelce said the most fun game of his career was against the Lions in the “Blizzard Bowl.”